Separating device for tack-capping machines



R. PACKARD. JSEBARATING DEVICE FOR TACK GAPPING MACHINES.

No. 244,478. Patented'J'uly 19,1881;

WITNEEEEE UNITED. STATES? PATENT '0FFICE.

HENRY a. PACKARD, or rnon'ron, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEPARATING DEVICE FOR TACK-CAP-PING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 244,478, dated July 19, 1881.

Application filed March 17, 1881. (No model.) I I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY R. PACKARD, of Taunton, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented aSeparator for Machines for OappingTacks, whereby the perfectly-capped tacks are separated from the loose caps and uncapped tacks discharged from the machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this-specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective .view of my separator. Fig.2 is avertical section through'the center of the same; Fig. 3,,detail; Fig. 4, view of one of the caps which are applied to the heads of the tacks. v

In machines for capping tacks to form what are known as lining-nails some of the tacks, owing to the small size of their heads, fail .to have the caps properly affixed thereto, which causes loose caps and uncapped tacks to bedischarged from the machine into the same receptacle with the perfectly-capped tacks, which occurrence also results from various other causes, such as an obstruction to the feeding of either the tacks or capsin an automatic machine, or, in a hand-machine, neglect or inattentionon the part of the operator. These loose caps and uncappedtacks haveheretoforebeen separated from the mass of perfect tacks by picking them over. by hand, which is an exceedingly slow,

tiresome, and laborious operation.

My invention an automatic machine of simple construction for performing this operation; and it consists in a revolving wheel or drum having around its circumference a series of tangential covering-plates, between which are left narrow spaces or gates of such form and width as to allow loose caps and uncapped tacks, as they drop singly from the capping-machine, to freely pass through to the inside of the wheel and thence out through one of the lower spaces or gates into a suitable receptacle beneath,while the perfectly-capped tacks, not being able to pass into the wheel through these spaces or gates, are carried over in the angles between adjacent plates and discharged at theopposite side of the wheel, as the latter revolves, into another receptacle placed to receive them, whereby the perfectly-finished tacks are auto has for its object to provide matically separated from the loose caps and uncapped tacks discharged from the cappingmachine, thus effecting a material saving in time and labor'; and my invention also consists in certain details of construction, as hereinafter set forth and specifically claimed.

In the said drawings, A represents a separating-wheel or hollow drum, the ends of which areof nonagonalforlnr This wheel is supported on a horizontal shaft, B, passing centrally through it and resting in suitable bearings in standards b b rising from the base-plate G, a ratchet-wheel, D, secured to one end of the shaft B, being engaged by a reciprocating pawl or hooked arm, E, Fig. 3, connected with some portion of the tack-cappin g machine having the desired motion, whereby the wheel is interlnittingly rotated, for a purposeto be hereinafter described.

, Around the circumference of the wheel are secured by means of screws 0 a series of longitudinal covering-plates, Gr, each. of which projects out tangentially from the wheel, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, its inner edge, d, being beveled and placed at such distance from the inner surface of the projecting portionof the contiguous plate as to leave a long narrow space, e, between the two, thewidth of these spaces or gates e being sufficient to allow of the free passage of loose caps f, Fig.4, or uncapped tacks whichmay be discharged from the tack-capping machine to which the separating device isapplied, while it will be impossible for a perfectly-capped tack to pass through one of these spaces or gates owing to the size of its head. To insure this result the edge 01 of the plate G at the gate or space 6 must be of such thickness and beveled at' such an angle as to prevent the shank of the tack from turning (see Fig. 2) sufficiently to allow its head to pass through the space e, as would be liable to occur if a thin plate of sheet metal was employed, or if the edge 61 was square or provided with a long bevel.

The perfectly-capped tacks, loose caps, and uncappedtacks drop, one at a time, from the capping-machine into a chute or conductor, H, by which each one is delivered with absolute certainty to the wheel A, the, lower edge, 10, of the chute resting on the projecting edge of one of the plates G, and this chute is mounted upon a horizontal rock-shaft, I, supported in a bearing, 9, at the upper end of a standard, K.

To the outer end of the shaft I is secured a collar, h, and to a screw projecting from this collar is secured a spiral spring, k, which tends to keep the edge 10 of the chute H in contact with the wheel, but allows the chute to be raised by theplates G, one after the other, as the wheel is revolved, during which operation the edge 10 of the chute drops oif the edge of one plate G and catches onto the edge of the plate next beneath, and so on throughout the entire series, whereby all liability of the caps or tacks to drop between the chute and the wheel, and thus fail to reach the latter, is avoided. A chute or conductor of any other suitable construction may, however, be used, if desired, which will insure the delivery of the caps or tacks to the wheel A, or the separator may be so arranged that the caps and tacks will drop directly from the capping-machine onto the wheel A; but I prefer to employ a chute or conductor, as above described, as it insures a better result. If a cap or an uncapped tack drops from the capping-machine into the chute it is delivered thereby to the wheel A, and immediatelydrops through one of the gates or spaces 0 into the interior of the wheel, whence it escapes through one of the lower spaces 6 into a pan orreceptacle,M,placed toreceiveit. When, however, a perfectly-capped tack drops into the chute H andis delivered to the wheel A, it cannot pass through the space 6 on account of the size of its head, and, remaining in the angle between the two contiguous plates G, is carried over as the wheel rotates, and is discharged upon the opposite side thereof into.

another receptacle, P, and in this manner a perfect separation of the perfectly-capped tacks from the loose caps and uncapped tacks is effected. At each movement of the wheelA one of the teeth of the ratchet-wheel D rides up on a pin, 1, which projects out horizontally from one of the standards I), thus raising one end of the shaft B, and with it the separator-wh eel A, and as soon as the point of the tooth of the ratchet-wheel drops off this pin 1 the wheel A falls to its original position with a sudden jar, which thus insures the dislodgement of any capped tack which may have become caught in any way between the plates, while it also insures the escape, from the interior of the wheel, of the loose caps or uncapped tacks, and

the passage through the spaces 6 of any cap which may have lodged edgewise across one of the said spaces. The pin l also serves as a stop to prevent the wheel A from being accidentally rotated in the wrong direction, which would break or injure the chute H.

The plates G are provided with slots m, through which the screws 0 pass, and by means of these slots and screws the plates may be adjusted to vary the width of the spaces or gates e for lining-nails of different sizes.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The revolving separating-wheel A, provided with a series of tangential coveringplates, G, arranged around its circumference in such manner as to leave spaces or gates 0 between them of such form and width as to prevent the passage through them of the capped tacks,which should be carried over by the wheel and discharged from its opposite side, but shall allow free passage to the loose caps and uncapped tacks into the interior of the wheel, and thence out therefrom, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the revolving separating-wheel A,provided with a series of covering-plates, G, projecting out tangentially therefrom, of the rocking chute or conductor H, adapted to rest and drop successively upon the projecting edges of the plates G as the wheel Ais rotated, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the wheel A, of the tangential covering-plates Gr, arranged as described, and having their edges at so beveled and of such thickness as to prevent the shank of a capped tack from turning sufficiently to allow of the passage of its head through the gate or space 0 formed between two contiguous plates, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the interniittinglyrotating separating-wheel A and its ratchetwheel D, of the pin l, adapted to raise the wheel and allow it to fall with a sudden jar, and also to act as a stop to prevent the backward revolution of the wheel, substantially as described.

Witness my hand this 20th day of January, 100

HENRY R. PACKARD.

In presence of- P. E. TESGHEMACHER, W. J. CAMBRIDGE. 

